Paper Bag
by butterflyKisses26
Summary: She thought that he was different. He proved her wrong. But, when they meet again, will he get a chance to do it over? Future fic. Slightly AU. Please R&R.
1. Little Did She Know

Disclaimer: Sadly I do **_not _**own Summerland or anything affiliated with the show. I do, however, own this story line and all original characters. Also, I don't own the song _Paper Bag_ by Anna Nalick.

Spoilers: This story is a future fic, but it's also AU. So, basically, I'm not quite sure yet what from the show has or hasn't happened in this story yet. But, if I had to guess, I would say that everything up to when Bradin started school at Playa Linda has happened. After that, everything is subject to change.

Summary: I'm gonna just let you guys read and discover the plot for yourselves (that basically means that I haven't figured this out entirely myself).

Author's Note: The idea for this story just kinda popped into my head one day so I decided to write it. I know that many of you who are probably reading this story have also been reading my other Summerland stories. For those of you who are fans of "Incomplete," don't worry, the next chapter is underway and should be posted later this week or next week. How often I update this story will depend on two factors. 1. How many reviews I get. If a lot of you are interested in seeing this story continue then by golly I will have more incentive to update. 2. Writer's block. It's a pesky thing that I sadly suffer greatly from. There is no known cure for it, but researchers are working on one as we speak. Now, enough with my rambling. Please enjoy this story.

**Paper Bag**

She don't run from the sun no more  
She boxed her shadow and she won  
Said I can see you laugh  
Through these bottle caps  
And this wire around my neck aint  
There for fun

But someday we'll all be old  
And I'll be so damn beautiful

Meanwhile I hide my head  
Here in this paper bag  
Cause if I cant see you  
Then you can't see me  
And it'll be okay  
Fly little bee away  
To where theres no more rain  
And I can be me

Yeah they talk about her  
She smiles like shes so tough  
She says  
"hey can you talk a little louder,  
I don't think my heart is broken enough"

But someday we'll all be old  
And I'll be so damn beautiful

Meanwhile I hide my head  
Here in this paper bag  
Cause if I can't see you  
Then you can't see me  
And it'll be okay  
Fly little bee away  
To where theres no more rain  
And I can be me

Some days I wait in the indigo  
Singing that song on the radio  
I blame these puddles on the rain  
You know I gotta keep these cheeks dry today  
Gotta keep my cheating strategy  
And baby I'm gonna have it made.

So I'll hide my head

Here in this paper bag  
Cause if I can't see you  
Then you can't see me  
And it'll be okay  
Fly little bee away  
To where theres no more rain  
And I can be me

Prologue- Beginning of school: 2004

As usual in Playa Linda, California, the sun was shining and the light blue sky was devoid of clouds. It was perfect weather: sunny and clear with only a slight breeze coming off the ocean. But for Edwina Branwell, the day was anything but perfect.

The stares and the whispers were as usual for Edwina as sunny weather was for California. Over the years she'd learned to ignore them, but, sometimes, she still cried herself to sleep at night over some especially cruel comment. Usually, however, the mean-spirited remarks were all the same. After all, she'd been going to school with the same kids since kindergarten. And, since they all had generally low IQs - their brains having been sun-baked to death what with all the sunbathing and surfing they did- it wasn't that surprising. Then again, Edwina always had considered herself brighter than her peers. That, however, was only because she had no one to spend her free hours with and thus spent all her time studying.

But things were different when a new person entered the school. With a new student came new stares, new whispers, and new and original comments. Edwina always feared new students. They forced her to relive the bad things that were better left buried. They made her life hell.

Standing in front of Playa Linda High, Edwina stared at the brick building with a sick feeling of dread growing in her stomach. She gripped the straps of her bookbag tightly, her knuckles turning white with the strength of her grip.

A group of girls walked past her, whispering behind their hands and giggling like hyenas. Edwina looked down at her scuffed shoes as their eyes passed over her, never really seeing her. Their snickering rang in her ears long after they'd gone inside the school.

She hated it. She hated it all: school, people, home, life. Why couldn't it all just end?

Edwina closed her eyes, fighting to keep tears at bay. She couldn't cry now, not when more and more people were coming towards the school. It would be the worst thing that could happen to her to have all these people see her break down. They would only gather more fodder to fuel their insults.

The bell was going to ring soon, but she couldn't seem to find the strength, nor the will power, to move her feet.

_Just do it,_ she mentally chastised herself. _Get it over with._

_Don't go in there,_ spoke the small voice inside her head. _If you go in there they'll only beat you down._

She paused, her eyes glued to the sidewalk. With a sigh she turned. The voice was right. If she entered the school she would regret it. She would only cause herself more hurt. She took a step away from the building, and that was when she saw him.

With the sun reflecting off his golden blond hair, he looked like a god that just stepped off Mount Olympus. He wasn't like the others, Edwina could see it in his eyes, his beautifulgreen eyes. The way he moved, with such confidence, seemed to glue her eyes to him. She wanted that confidence. He looked around as if searching for someone, and his eyes met hers. Edwina gulped, no one had ever looked her directly in the eyes before. And it scared her that he would do so. He smiled and nodded his head in greeting. Edwina looked behind her, her heart breaking as she realized that he couldn't have been looking at her. No one ever smiled at her. But there wasn't anyone behind her. Her eyes flew back to his, her pulse racing.

_Perhaps this year won't be so bad_. She thought.

Little did she know how wrong she would be.

>>>>>

Sorry this was so short. But it's a prologue, what did you expect? I promise you that the next chapter will be a great deal longer than this one. You have my word. Now I will stop talking and allow you to press that tiny little purple button that is calling your name. Lol.


	2. Ten Years Later

I'm so happy that you guys like this story so far. A special thanks to all y'all who reviewed: _KristiFan000, chelsea, steviebrockluvr90, grullo-cowgirl (_thanks for pointing that out to me. I couldn't remember if they were green or not), _kandykane33, _and _Jmacsgurl15._ All of you guys are so awesome!

Alright, so just a heads up, but this chapter is gonna kinda move from scene to scene a bit. It'll only be this chapter (I hope) that does that though. I thought I'd warn you guys ahead of time 'cause I know that some people hate it when a scene moves around a lot. Also, the name Edie is pronounced like the ice cream, just in case anyone couldn't figure out how to pronounce it.

Chapter One

Ten years later

Edie Branwell hurried down the hallway, her high-heels clicking out a staccato rhythm with each step. She was late. Mr. Hooper would not be happy, but he would understand. Everyone knew LA traffic was not the most reliable. Besides, Edie was his "top dog." He'd said so himself.

Standing just outside the conference room door, Edie checked her portfolio one more time to make sure that she had everything for the pitch. All there. She ran a hand through her hair and drew in a deep breath before opening the door.

>>>>>

"Another successful job, Edie." Mr. Hooper congratulated her, pouring champagne into two champagne flutes.

"How do you do it?"

Edie took the glass he handed her and smiled.

"I had a good teacher."

Her comment brought a smile to the older man's jovial face.

"Very true." He laughed, taking a sip of his drink. He grew serious once more. "But you should know better than to be late, especially to a pitch with one of our top clients."

"I know, I'm sorry about that." She apologized.

"Mind telling me what you late?" He quirked a graying eyebrow.

"Oh no you don't," Edie shook her head and chuckled, "I know you hate excuses, so there's no way that I'm going to tell you."

"You stayed over at Alex's last night." He stated. She shook her head in disbelief.

"How do you do that? How is it that you know everything?"

He shrugged. "I have my ways. Not to mention Alex _is _my son."

"Touché." Edie sipped her drink. "You know, I never thanked you for introducing us."

"Don't even think about." He pointed a mockingly stern finger at her. "Truth be known I had purely selfish reasons behind doing so. I knew you were the perfect girl for Alex."

Edie blushed and fingered the fragile stem of her glass.

"You're the daughter I always wished I'd had." Mr. Hooper continued.

"I always wished for a dad like you." Edie whispered, her voice cracking with the emotion of painful childhood memories.

Mr. Hooper smiled sympathetically and patted her shoulder comfortingly. A small smile tugged at Edie's lips.

"Now," Mr. Hooper moved to sit behind his desk, "let's get back to work. We have a lot to do for the excellent campaign you just pitched."

>>>>>**_2004_**

_Bradin tugged his backpack up higher onto his shoulder as he made his way towards Playa Linda High. The first day of school was always the most difficult for him. It was so hard to get out of the habit of sleeping late. And Bradin so loved to sleep._

_He reached the school and looked at the one story building that was bustling with teens. Like every other building in Playa Linda the school was built to allow for the beach air to permeate every inch of space. That wasn't exactly a very smart idea in Bradin's mind. The more he smelled the beach air, the more he wanted to go out and surf. Definitely not a good idea when he should be focusing on school work._

_Adjusting his backpack once more, Bradin looked around, searching for the friends he'd made when trying out for the school's surf team. His eyes roved over the crowd that was traveling into the school, lingering a few seconds on any good looking girl he found. His heart broke slightly at the thought that he would not be starting school without Sara at his side. They'd had such a great relationship, and then Sara had gone off the deep end. But he'd loved her regardless, and still loved her. However, she'd been sent away to a boarding school for girls with problems such as her own. And that left Bradin without a best friend to start school with._

At least I've already made some friends on the surf team_, he thought,_ otherwise I'd be completely alone

_As he was thinking all this, Bradin's eyes landed on a girl who stood apart from the crowd. She wasn't beautiful by any means. Nor could she even be considered cute. She was chunky and her hair was curly and frizzy. She wore thick glasses and a hopeless expression. Bradin felt bad for her. She seemed so lonely. Her eyes stared straight into Bradin's with a look of hopelessness that broke his heart. She looked so sad, so anxious. Like a caged animal._

_Bradin had always been one to care about those that others looked down upon. He'd always rooted for the underdog. And this poor girl certainly seemed like the underdog._

_He took a step towards her, intent on introducing himself._

_"Yo, Bradin, over here."_

_He turned and saw a bunch of the guys from the team waving him over. Looking one last time at the girl, Bradin moved towards his friends. He'd introduce himself late._>>>>>

The ER was bustling with activity. Bradin Westerly was kept busy rushing from patient to patient, trying to treat as many as possible in a short amount of time.

"Crash victim," the EMT said as a gurney was rushed into the ER. Bradin quickly moved towards the new patient: a man with blood drenching the right side of his face, flowing from a cut on his forehead. The upper part of his body was immobilized by a neck and head brace.

"Car was sideswiped at an intersection. Vic's got multiple abrasions on his arms and face. Possible neck and spinal injuries."

"Sir," Bradin leaned over the man as they hurried towards an empty trauma room, "can you tell me your name?"

"Si…Simon." The man rasped.

"Well, Simon, don't you worry. We're gonna fix you up good as new." Bradin promised as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

>>>>>

Bradin sat, head in his hands, in the ER's break room.

He'd made a promise to Simon. A promise that he'd been unable to keep.

They'd spent nearly two hours working on him. Everything had been going fine, then Bradin had discovered a complication with internal bleeding. Things had gone down hill from there.

Bradin sighed and rubbed a weary hand through his hair.

"It's not your fault." Lauren, one of the nurses who'd been assisting, said. "You can't save them all, Bradin."

"I made him a promise." Bradin said, his eyes fixated on the table where he sat. "I told him he'd be okay."

"And you did everything you could." Lauren placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Why do you always do this to yourself?"

"Excuse me?" Bradin looked up at her, confused.

"You always blame yourself when someone dies on your watch."

Bradin pushed away from the table and grabbed his jacket.

"Well excuse me for having a heart." He growled before marching out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

>>>>>

The apartment was dark when Edie got home that night. Flipping on the entryway light, she took off her jacket and hung it in the closet. She ran a hand across the back of her neck, massaging out the tension there. Dealing with demanding clients and working alongside her boyfriend's ex was not exactly the most relaxing way that Edie would choose to spend her time. But, thankfully, she had a date with Alex that night to help her get over her stressful day.

Alex. A smile covered her face at the thought of her boyfriend. Edie never thought that she could care for someone as much as she cared for Alex. And she _definitely _never thought that anyone could care for her so much. Edie remembered back to when they'd first met.

It had been when she'd first started at Princeton. Alex had been the one conducting freshman orientation. He'd been a senior that year and finishing up his studies as a business major. Edie had taken an instant liking to him, and, surpassingly, Alex had flirted with her whenever they ran into each other on campus. He took her out a few times. But when he graduated they decided to end their casual relationship, assuming that they would never see each other again. Then Edie had graduated and took a job in LA working at Hoop, an ad design company. She'd risen quickly in ranks, using her creative new ideas to gain the attention of the company's owner himself: Marcus Hooper. It wasn't until an office Christmas party two years ago that Mr. Hooper decided to introduce Edie to his son. Edie had found herself staring, shocked out of her mind, at Alex. And, deciding that it was fate that they meet again, they had been together ever since.

Edie wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. She searched the contents, trying to figure out what she needed to get next time she went shopping, before pulling out a bottle of red wine. She poured herself a glass and moved into the living room. As she sipped her wine, Edie checked her messages. Nothing important. She glanced at her watch. Alex wouldn't be there to pick her up for another two hours.

_Time enough for a nice hot soak in the tub_, she thought with a smile.

As the steaming water filled the large, garden tub, Edie lit candles and turned on the CD player to her classical music CD. Stripping, she climbed into the tub, the hot water quickly making her tension vanish. She leaned against the back of the tub and let her body relax beneath the bubbles. Closing her eyes, Edie sipped her wine.

Memories of her childhood floated into Edie's mind as she became more relaxed, almost as if they had waited until her mind was free before springing on her. She remembered all the pain she had suffered through, all the teasing and torment.

"And look how far I've come." She whispered to the empty bathroom. "No one would even recognize me now."

She thought back to the card she'd received in the mail the other day. An invitation to her class reunion. At first Edie wasn't going to go, but she'd thought about it and had decided to send in her RSVP. After all, what was the point of remaking herself if she couldn't show off to those losers she'd graduated with?

>>>>>

I hope you guys liked this chapter and will review.


	3. The Question

I want to say thank you to all y'all who reviewed last chapter: _absolutehottie88_, _cali-beach-babe, chelsea, grullo-cowgirl, Jmacsgurl15, kandykane33, _and_ steviebrockluvr90._ Thank you all very much.

Chapter Two

Bradin shrugged off his jacket and threw it across the back of the couch as he wandered into his apartment. The sand colored coat slid off the black leather couch and landed silently on the hardwood floor. Bradin glanced at the fallen jacket before making his way into the kitchen.

A pile of mail sat on the kitchen counter, the envelopes a stark white against the deep jade green tiles. He'd been ignoring the growing pile for two weeks, too busy to bother with it. It was all junk anyway. He headed for the fridge and grabbed a beer out of the door. Opening it, he chugged down half the bottle.

Being a doctor had been a dream of his since high school. But it wasn't without its ups and downs. Sure he made a lot of money and was able to afford a nice apartment. But it was too hard on him when someone died.

Bradin never had been one who could deal with death easily. When his parents died he hadn't really had time to mourn. He'd had to become the comforter to his brother and sister, and had to put his own sadness on hold so that he could help them cope with theirs. Still, even after his parents had been dead for almost eleven years, Bradin still hadn't been able to sufficiently mourn their passing. Death was a sore subject for him. He didn't want to deal with it. Instead, he simply wanted it to go away. Much like Anakin Skywalker- one of Bradin's favorite movie characters- Bradin wanted to find a way to remove death from the world. So, when a patient died, Bradin took it hard. He acted as if it were his own fault, his own short-giving's that had caused that one person to lose their life.

Finishing his beer, Bradin pulled another from the fridge and sat down at the counter. He didn't want to do anything but sit there and mope over the loss of yet another patient.

The mail sat there in front of him, looking bleak and boring. With a sigh Bradin reached for the top envelope. Boring was something that he needed right about then. As the envelopes were opened he would toss them into differing piles- trash, bills, letters and cards- until only one envelope remained. This one had the Playa Linda High insignia on it and Bradin couldn't help but wonder what they were asking money for this time. But it wasn't a solicitation, at least not this time. No, it was an invitation to a reunion for his graduating class.

_Definitely boring,_ Bradin thought as he read the invitation. _Then again, it could be a chance to see what everyone else is up to._

He bit his lip as he considered the possibility of going. It would be nice to see his old teammates again, see if any of them were still on the circuit or if they had gone on and gotten jobs and become "respectable citizens." He placed the card in its own separate pile and grabbed another beer.

>>>>>

The knock came at exactly seven o'clock. Edie smiled as she opened the door; Alex always had been very punctual. This night was no exception.

He stood at the door, dressed in a designer suit, his hair casually spiked, his blue eyes reflecting the smile on his bow shaped mouth. A bouquet of white daisies and miniature sunflowers- her favorites- was clasped in his hand.

"Wow," he breathed, looking Edie up and down, "you look amazing."

Edie blushed and ran a hand over the non-existent wrinkles in her sapphire dress. No matter how many times Alex complimented her, Edie always blushed. She never had been able to get used to compliments after so many years of ridicule.

"These are for you." He held out the flowers. Edie's smile widened as she breathed in the flowers' fresh scent.

"Thank you." She said, leaning in to kiss him. The stubble on his chiseled jaw tickled her skin as their mouths and tongues moved in a hypnotic dance.

"Do you want to come in?" Edie asked, coyly, playing with Alex's tie. He bit his lip in the cute way that drove her wild.

"I would, but then we'd never get to dinner." He replied, meeting her suggestive stare with one of his own.

"You know me too well." Edie chuckled. "Let me just put these in water and grab my coat and then we can go."

>>>>>

The small, out-of-the-way Italian restaurant was one that the couple frequented often. It was a place untouched by LA's posh, low-carb, nothing but soy foolishness. Instead, it was a quiet restaurant lit by candles and dim chandeliers. The tables were small and set far apart, allowing for intimate conversations between couples. The food there was delicious, and the service fantastic.

Alex pulled Edie's chair out for her. She smiled at him gratefully as she sat. Their waiter soon appeared and to take their drink orders and hand them the dinner menus. As the waiter poured their wine, Edie glanced over the menu, though she already knew what she was going to have.

"So," Alex reached across the table and gripped her hand, his thumb running over her skin softly. "How was your day?"

"Long." Edie sighed. "I swear, if one more client says that they want to change the ad just as we're about to launch the campaign I am going to strangle somebody."

Alex's fingers tightened around her own in a show of sympathy.

"No you won't," he shook his head and smiled, "you're too nice to commit murder."

Edie laughed. She couldn't help it. Alex always had a way of making her see that things would get better. It was like he had some sort of magical powers or something. The superhuman ability to make everything okay again. Edie loved him for that. She loved him for everything about him: his smile, his kindness, his laugh, everything. She didn't know what she would do without him. He had been the first to see beyond physical appearance and straight into her soul. And that was what had first made Edie fall for him.

"I love you so much." She said quietly, staring straight into his beautiful eyes.

"Yeah I know." He leaned back in his chair, acting as if girls declaring their love for him happened everyday. Edie slipped her hand from his and slapped his arm playfully.

"You're such an idiot." She laughed.

"An idiot in love." Alex suddenly turned very serious, his eyes boring into Edie's. He leaned across the table and kissed her soundly on the lips. Edie could feel her cheeks burn hot with embarrassment. She never had been one for being affectionate in public.

"Edie," he took her hand once more, "I want to ask you something and I don't want you to answer until you've thought it over."

_Oh god_, her eyes widened as she watched Alex to get his feet and then kneel in front of her._ Oh god, oh god, oh god!_

"Edie, when I first met you, you were a geeky looking freshman. And I fell in love with you instantly. Ever since we met you have done nothing but reveal yourself to be a smart, funny, and caring woman who has so much to offer. Over the years you have blossomed into a beautiful woman whose appearance now matches her soul. I don't know why it was me that you chose to give your love to. But I know damn well that I would be a fool not to take that love and hide it away so that no other can steal it. I know that you hate flowery speeches, and that you are probably thinking of killing me right now for doing this in public. But I love you, Edie, and I want you to be my wife. And I don't give a damn whose around to witness this."

Alex reached into his pocket and drew out a small black box. Lifting the top, he held out a beautiful silver ring to Edie.

"Edie Branwell, will you marry me?"

All through his speech, Edie's eyes had been burning with tears that flowed slowly down her cheeks. She placed a trembling hand over her mouth in astonishment as she stared at Alex. His eyes were so hopeful, so full of love. She drew in a shaky breath before throwing herself into his arms and kissing him wildly.

"Yes," she whispered in his ear, "of course I will."

Alex let out a loud whoop and picked Edie up, spinning her around excitedly. As her feet touched back down on the ground, Alex placed the engagement ring on her finger.

"There," he said, looking down at the ring, "now everyone knows just how much I love you."

Smiling like a fool, Edie kissed her fiancé.

>>>>>

Well, did you guys like it? Please review and tell me what you thought.


	4. In The Blink Of An Eye

I want to thank all y'all who reviewed last chapter. I don't have time to thank all of you right now, but just know that I really appreciate it.

Chapter Three

_Bradin sat in the cafeteria, listening to his friends talk and watching the other students as he picked at his food. _

So far, school had been no different than it was in Kansas, and for that Bradin was grateful. It gave him the chance to have a little normalcy in his otherwise topsy-turvy world.

Across the crowded cafeteria, he spotted her; the girl from outside the school, the one he'd been meaning to introduce himself to all day. Her nose was buried in a book, her lunch tray lying forgotten in front of her. The table she sat at was empty except for her. Bradin couldn't imagine ever eating lunch alone. He'd always had friends to sit with.

He watched as three guys wearing Playa Linda High basketball jerseys walked past her table, the biggest guy knocking the book from her hands. The book landed on the tiled floor with a resounding thud_. It shocked Bradin that no one even noticed the noise, or the fact that those three jerks were picking on that girl. A surge of righteous anger flowed through Bradin's veins. He never had liked bullies. The three guys continued past her, laughing. Bradin's jaw clenched tightly and his hands balled into fists. _

The girl stooped to pick up her book, her face expressionless. It was almost as if the act was routine for her, like this kind of thing happened to her everyday. But how could she tolerate something like that?

"Bradin, dude, what are you looking at?" Tomi, one of the senior members of the surf team, asked.

"You checkin' out some hot chick?" He moved his gaze to where Bradin was looking.

"Ah, I see you've noticed our resident geek-oid. That girl is such a loser." Tomi's laughter was joined by the other members of the team. Bradin didn't find what he said a bit amusing, and his face was set in stony silence.

"Why do they do that?" Bradin asked no one in particular as he watched another guy "trip" and spill soda all down the girl's shirt. She jumped up as the whole cafeteria burst out laughing. There were tears in her eyes and Bradin knew that she was doing all she could not to cry as she raced out of the cafeteria.

"You gotta understand, Bradin," Blake, another surfer, said, "everyone picks on the chick. It's the only thing we've got for entertainment around here."

Bradin wanted to slap Blake. What son of a bitch could think that way? To pick on someone merely for entertainment? It was sick.

"Bradin, man, listen," Tomi placed an arm around Bradin's shoulders and pulled him close as if he were about to divulge a great secret. "Edwina Branwell is the human piñata 'round here. Everyone picks on her, and with good reason. I mean, the girl is weird_. If she didn't want to be picked on then she'd act like a normal person. It's as simple as that. Now eat up, this crap is even worse when it's cold."_

>>>>>

_She raced in the bathroom. Tears streamed down her face like two waterfalls, blurring her vision. As she crashed through the door, she sobbed uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking with the force. Balancing herself on the sink counter, Edwina looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was red and splotchy and her thick glasses only made her eyes look more bloodshot than they really were. _

_Her shirt was beginning to stick to her skin. The orange soda would leave a stain. Of that she was certain._

_Why did this have to happen to her? Why did it always happen to her? She had never done anything to anyone, and still the whole school insisted on picking on her. Why? All Edwina wanted was to simply ignore and be ignored. She had worked so hard to be invisible, but no one would let her simply shrink into the shadows. Sometimes she wished it would all just end; that she could simply make it all go away. Too many times suicide had crossed her mind, but Edwina couldn't help but think "wouldn't that be giving them what they want?" Often times at night she would lie awake in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, and pray. She didn't know why God- if there was a God- let her suffer as she did. Why did he make her go through this hell? _

_Turning on the faucet, Edwina took off her glasses and splashed cold water on her face. The tears washed away, but the evidence of them remained. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Without her glasses on the image was blurred and distorted; nothing more than a mass of colors trying to form a shape. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed._

_People often said that high school was their glory days. Edwina couldn't help but wonder, was this as good as it was gonna get? Were these truly her "glory days?" Were things going to just go down hill from here?_

_"Not like they have any lower to go." She said bitterly, her voice echoing off the tiled walls._

_She placed her glasses back on, her reflection once again becoming clear. If this truly was as good as it got, Edwina wondered why she didn't just end it all right then and there._

_>>>>>_

The ring felt heavy on Edie's finger, and her hand felt weighted down. It was a larger diamond than she would have chosen for herself, but Edie loved it nonetheless. Every few moments she glanced down at the ring, as if to reassure herself that the proposal really had happened. She still couldn't believe that Alex had asked her to marry him. It was so surreal. Not even three years before, Edie would have laughed in the face of anyone who had told her that one day she would be engaged. Much less engaged to a man who was handsome, rich, a complete gentleman, and who loved her immensely. But now it really was happening.

Alex helped Edie on with her coat and then held the door of the restaurant open for her as they walked out. They were both grinning like idiots as they climbed into Alex's car.

"So," he said, reaching across the car and gripping her hand tightly as he pulled out into traffic, "where to next m'lady?"

"I don't know," Edie shrugged, "you choose."

"Oh no," Alex shook his head and chuckled lightly. "This night is all yours. You have to choose."

"Okay then-" Edie took a moment to think. "I have the perfect place."

"And where would that be?"

"Your place." She replied with an evilly seductive grin. Alex pretended to ponder the idea for a moment.

"My place it is then." He said, turning the car in the direction of his apartment.

>>>>>

She fell onto the bed, Alex's warm mouth securely covering hers in a passionate kiss. His hands slid underneath the skirt of her dress, gently caressing the inside of her thigh. Edie moaned. Alex's lips moved down her neck and over the top of her right breast. Edie arched into him, wanting more of the delicious feelings that he was evoking within her.

"Oh god." She breathed as Alex slid off her dress and moved his kisses down her stomach. His tongue swirled around her bellybutton, and his fingers toyed with the elastic of her panties. Edie didn't know how much more she could take. The hot blooded passion that was racing through her veins was enough to drive her over the edge. Her head was in a fog as Alex stripped off the last bit of clothing she wore. He moved back over her, his lips finding hers.

"You're so beautiful." He murmured between kisses. Edie could only moan in response, her fingers trailing over his sturdy chest, feeling his muscles ripple beneath her fingertips. A scream of pleasure wrenched itself from her throat as Alex crashed into her.

>>>>>

Bradin jerked awake at the shrill beep of his alarm clock. Five o'clock. Time to get up and start another day. But Bradin's muddled brain and sleep-weakened body would not allow him to move. He closed his eyes to go back to sleep, but the damn alarm clock would not shut-up. He reached over to smash the snooze button, but, being closer to the edge of his bed than he realized, he tumbled to the floor.

"Goddamnit!" He cried, struggling to his feet. The dark blue bed sheet fell off him, leaving Bradin standing in only a pair of boxers. He stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

He didn't want to go into work that morning. He _never _wanted to go into work after losing a patient. But day after day, he forced himself to go; knowing, that if he didn't, many more could possibly die. It was the curse of being a doctor- losing patients. No doctor liked it, but all had to deal with it. And they each had their own way of doing that. Some simply worked harder on the next person to come into the ER. Others worked to figure out what had gone wrong and how they could prevent it from happening again. And then there were those like Bradin, who became depressed and blamed themselves for the death when really it had been the extent of the injuries that had killed the person.

Bradin stripped off his boxers and stepped into the shower, letting the scalding hot water ease the tension in his muscles. Red welts sprang up on his pale skin wherever the water hit. He stood there for who knows how long, simply letting the water move over him. Bradin wished that it took nothing more than water to wash away the guilt and self-loathing that covered him. But water was only what it was. There were no healing powers there. It was simply water. Nothing more, nothing less.

He stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off. He had spent enough time feeling sorry for himself. It was time, now, to get to work.

>>>>>

A smile flitted across Edie's face as she woke that morning in the arms of her fiancé. Fiancé, she liked the sound of that word.

Pulling the covers up over her chest, Edie sat up on her elbows and stared down at the peaceful face of her lover. He was so beautiful when he slept, innocent and childlike. Pride swelled within her breast and her heartbeat quickened. She loved him so much. Edie didn't know what she would have done without him in her life. He had made her see that she truly was beautiful and that she had something to offer. He had made her see that she was worth something. And he had loved her endlessly for who she was.

Edie bent and kissed Alex's forehead before getting out of bed- the sheet wrapped around her- and heading into the bathroom to shower.

When she came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in one of the suits that she kept in Alex's closet, Alex was already awake and cooking breakfast.

"Morning." He greeted her with a smile and held out a steaming cup of coffee to her.

"Good morning." She sipped the coffee, savoring the caffeine fix. Edie sat at the table and Alex placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

They ate in companionable silence. Both glancing up every now and then from their sections of newspaper to smile at the other.

"I have to get to work." Edie said as she placed her empty plate in the dishwasher.

"Okay, I'll drive you." Alex rinsed off his plate and then placed his in the dishwasher beside hers.

"But then you'll be late for that meeting you have this morning." Edie shook her head. "I can just take a cab."

She moved to grab her purse. But Alex placed his hands on her shoulders.

"It's alright, the meeting got pushed back to this afternoon. And besides, I wanna be with you when everyone at the office sees that ring on your finger."

"Okay," Edie smiled, relenting.

She never could remember much about that drive to work that morning. It all seemed like a blur. The usual routine of sitting in traffic had warped inside her brain until she couldn't even remember which route they had taken that morning. But, what she did remember, was the honk of a car horn and the smashing of glass. And the pain. The pain that swept through her before the whole world turned black.

>>>>>

Well, what did y'all think? Please review and give me your honest opinions of this chapter.


	5. In the Dark

Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I want to thank all y'all who reviewed last chapter. You guys really rock! Anyways, here's the next chapter. I hope y'all like it.

Chapter Four

She swam in a pool of dark water. Her limbs could barely move and she felt as if she were beginning to drown. Her lungs burned; screaming for air. But she could inhale nothing but the water; thick and heavy. It filled her lungs and weighed her down even more. She fought to break through the surface, but no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't reach it.

>>>>>

_She walked home that day, head hung and hair falling around her face in a dark curtain. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the shoulder straps of her bag, her knuckles turning white with the force of her grip. _

Another day in hell was over with.

The house loomed over her, looking cheerful and bright in the early September sunshine. But Edwina knew what was hidden behind that sunny exterior. She knew that, now that one hell was finished with it was time to step into another.

She heard the glass smash against the wall just as her fingers wrapped around the doorknob. Drawing in a deep breath, she braced herself for impact.

"You no good bastard! I saw you with her! I saw you with that slut!" Her mother's screaming could be heard echoing throughout the house and, Edwina had no doubt, all through the neighborhood.

"Well I wouldn't have to be with her if you would give me what I wanted selfish bitch!" There was her father's response, right on time.

It was always the same. The same arguments, the same throwing of insults. Always the same. Edwina was tired of it.

"Oh, so just 'cause I don't want to 'experiment' you're gonna go around banging the first whore you can get your hands on?" The sarcasm was dripping from her mother's voice.

Clamping her hands more tightly around the backpack's straps, Edwina bypassed the living room where her parents stood- their faces contorted in rage and their hands balled into fists- and quickly ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

She slammed the door behind her. But her parents didn't hear. They never heard anything she did or said. They barely even saw her anymore. Sure they saw her, but they never really looked _at her. They never bothered to get to know their own daughter. _

Edwina dropped her bag on the floor of her room and fell onto her bed, burying her head beneath the pillow in an effort to block out their angry voices.

Why did she even come home anymore? She couldn't think of any reason to be here. It wasn't worth it.

Downstairs she could hear their argument change from her father's latest affair to money. It was always the same two arguments with them. Money and cheating. And no matter which argument they started with, they always ended up switching to the other topic. Making the two interlink.

Pulling the pillow tighter around her ears, Edwina tried desperately to block out their voices. If only it would all just stop.

> > > > >

The ER doors burst open and the EMTs wheeled in yet another gurney. Bradin rushed forward, and helped the ambulance workers drive the gurney towards an empty trauma room.

"Collision on the highway." The woman EMT said. "Stats are low. Severe head trauma, four broken ribs- possibly more. She's been unconscious since we arrived at the scene."

Bradin glanced down at the young woman on the gurney. Despite the blood that covered nearly her entire face, Bradin could tell that she was a beautiful woman. No amount of blood could hide that fact.

They wheeled the gurney into an empty room and the EMTs instantly faded away, replaced by two nurses and an intern.

Quickly, the team worked to hook the young woman up to a monitor.

"Pulse is low and fading fast." A nurse said as she read the screen.

"Alright people, we gotta work fast here." Bradin ordered. He wasn't about to lose another patient.

> > > > >

A light broke through the murky surface, but Edie was too far away to reach out and grip it. She was too far away to feel its warmth. Struggling, she fought to gain ground, to get closer to that light. But it stayed just out of reach. She fought, her lungs burning and her heart beating rapidly. Her entire body felt as if it could explode at any moment. But still she fought.

The light grew nearer, inch by slow and painful inch.

_Just a little further,_ she thought, _just a little further._

> > > > >

"BP is stabilizing." The words were like a burst of sunshine after a monsoon. Bradin sighed, his muscles beginning to relax. He glanced at the clock.

Two hours they had been working on this patient, trying to stabilize her and bring her back from the brink of death. And they had done it.

He couldn't believe it. The young woman had been nearly dead when she came into the ER, and he and his team had been able to bring her back. Or at least he hoped so. They still needed for her to wake up before Bradin could be completely sure that she was fine.

He looked down at the young woman on the table. Now that the blood had been washed from her face, she was even more beautiful than he'd originally thought- despite the dark bruises that were now beginning to show on her pale skin. And, as Bradin looked closer, there was something oddly familiar about her.

> > > > >

_Bradin watched Edwina as she worked to open her locker. It'd been three days since school started, and he still hadn't introduced himself like he'd planned to. Instead, he'd watched as she'd been picked on and tormented. And he hadn't even bothered to step in. Bradin felt sick with himself for never reaching out to help her. He hated the fact that she was the punching bag for the whole damn school. How could people be so cruel to her? _

_She continued to struggle with her locker. Over and over again she pulled on the handle, but the metal door would not budge._

_Bradin pushed away from his position against the wall and moved over to where she stood._

_"Here," he said, reaching around her to grab the locker handle, "let me help you."_

_She jumped back slightly, obviously surprised at his sudden appearance. She stared at him through wide eyes that were wild with fright. Her look reminded Bradin of the rabbit that he and his father had hunted when Bradin was twelve- eyes wide as she realized that there was no escape and that the end was near. Bradin had never hunted after that. He couldn't take the helpless look in the eyes of the poor animal. And now, that was exactly how Edwina looked: Like a rabbit that had just found itself trapped._

_He pulled open the locker easily and stepped back._

_"There you go." He said. Edwina stood still, her eyes never leaving his._

_"Is this some kind of joke?" She asked quietly. "As soon as I go to reach into my locker you're gonna slam it shut, aren't you?"_

_Bradin shook his head._

_"No." He replied, trying to make his face look as honest as possible. "I just thought that you could use some help. That's all. I swear." He stepped back from her locker, as if to show her that he meant what he said._

_Edwina took a step towards the locker. Hesitantly, she reached inside to grab the books that she needed. When she emerged with the books she sought, she glanced at Bradin._

_"Thanks." She whispered._

_"No problem." He shrugged. "I'm Bradin." He held out his hand to her. She stared at his hand as if it would bite her. Then, slowly, hesitantly, she placed her hand in his._

_"Edwina."_

_> > > > >_

It's kinda short, but I hope you guys liked it. Please review and tell me what you thought


	6. So Familiar

Hey y'all. I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys totally rock!

Now, on with the chapter.

Chapter Five

_When she looked back on those days, Edwina was certain that that was the day that she had truly and royally screwed herself. But, back then, she hadn't even thought that things could get much worse than they were. Boy had she been wrong. _

Things began to look up for Edwina after she met Bradin. She couldn't help but think that he was the most attractive boy that she'd ever met, and the fact that he had bothered to be nice to her had only made him even more gorgeous. When things got rough for her at home, she would call up the image of Bradin's face and things would suddenly seem all better. Sure it was only a quick fix, a brief break from reality, but it helped her to deal with all the crap that was going on in her life. Her parents' fighting had gotten worse, and there wasn't a day that went by when Edwina didn't hear them screaming. But the thought of Bradin always helped to get her through their shouting matches.

Maybe if he'd known how much he meant to her, he wouldn't have hurt her like he did.

> > > > > 

A bright light flooded her eyes as her lids slowly fluttered open. Everything around her was a blur of muddled color and Edie found it difficult to make out distinct shapes.

_Where am I?_ She wondered as her eyes searched the distorted room for clues. But she couldn't make anything out. A mass of color appeared over her face.

"How are you feeling today?" The voice came from all around her.

She tried to speak, to tell the Voice that she felt like hell, but she had no voice of her own. The best she could manage was a small groan. Something rested on her hand, something warm and comforting.

"You'll get your voice back soon enough," the Voice said, "right now I'm just glad that you're awake."

Her vision began to swim and her eyelids felt as if they were weighed down with lead. Her eyes began to close. She fought to keep them open, but the darkness was swiftly closing in on her again. But this time it was not menacing, but, rather, gentle and warm. Inviting.

The last thing she thought of before she let the darkness take her once more, was the fact that the Voice seemed so familiar to her.

> > > > > 

Bradin stood over the woman's bed. Edie. That was her name. One of the nurses had gone through her purse and found her driver's license. Edie Branwell. He knew that name from somewhere. But for the life of him, Bradin could not place it. The familiarity of it was as persistent as the woman's face.

He should know her. He was certain of it. But where could he have seen her before? He hardly ever got out of the house, and when he did, he was at the hospital. Bradin had no social life. So why, then, was this woman so familiar to him?

Gently, he traced her jaw line. Her face was bruised, but there was no hiding the beauty beneath those dark marks.

"Dr. Westerly," Bradin started as a nurse pushed aside the curtain surrounding Miss Branwell's bed.

"Yes?" Bradin turned his attention to the nurse. The young woman looked from him to the young patient suspiciously.

"You're needed in exam room 3." She said, her voice holding an edge.

"Thank you." Bradin said. He cast one last glance at the young woman that lay sleeping, before quickly heading towards the exam room.

> > > > > 

He got home late that night and quickly headed for his computer. He was going to find out who Edie Branwell was if it was the last thing he did.

After he'd finished his shift that day, Bradin had returned to Edie's bedside to see if she'd woken up again. She hadn't. Nonetheless, Bradin remained by her side for nearly two hours, staring at her face and trying to remember where he knew her from.

He logged onto the internet and headed for a search engine. Typing quickly, he wrote Edie's name in the small box and pressed Enter. It took only seconds for the page of results to show.

It seemed as if a million links came up. Bradin sighed. It would take him hours to go through all this. But he readied himself for the long haul and clicked the mouse on the first link.

> > > > > 

Edie felt as if her whole body were on fire. Pain swept through every limb, every muscle, every cell of her body. She wanted to scream from it all, but her throat was too raw to make noise. So she did the only thing she could- she cried.

Hot, wet tears slid down her cheeks one after the other. The tears rolled over her face, the wet trail quickly dried by her heated skin, and fell into her ears and hair and onto her pillow. The tears, however, would not absolve the pain, and Edie was left in a dark cocoon of anguish.

She was aware of life around her. She could hear an incessant beeping and garbled voices and footsteps that squeaked on tiled floor. Her sense of touch was unaffected, and she could feel the blankets that she lay on and their roughness. She smelled generic soaps and cleaning products, and the ever present smell of antiseptic. It was a smell that she had come to sense in her worst nightmares. The smells of a hospital- a place that she had sworn to herself she would never enter again. And yet here she was, smelling those smells again, and it was all she could do not to throw up.

"There, there, sweetheart." Edie felt a cool hand encompass her own. "I know it hurts. So I'm going to give you something for the pain." The sweet, musical voice of a woman continued to talk as Edie lay there, crying. She could hear the woman moving around, but Edie was uncertain of what she was doing.

But that didn't matter. Because a calming darkness was slowly seeping over her, enshrouding her in its warm embrace. Edie breathed in deeply, wanting to open her arms to the darkness and welcome it like a hug from an old friend. And as the darkness crept over her, that's exactly what she did.

> > > > > 

Bradin walked into the hospital early the next morning, rested and anxious. He knew now who Edie Branwell was, and where he knew her from. He knew all too well.

It hadn't taken nearly as long as he'd thought for him to find her. One of the links on the third page of results had led Bradin to her. And what he had found, he had not liked.

It was a link for his old school, Playa Linda High- class year of 2006. Edwina Branwell's yearbook photograph had jumped onto the screen, her haunted eyes staring out at Bradin as if she were judging him and his selfish behavior. His heart had ached as he looked at that photograph, remember what he had done to her. How could he have been so cruel?

As he walked down the hall towards her room, Bradin wondered if she would remember him. If she would recognize him, too.

He stood over her bed. She was sleeping peacefully, eyes closed, chest moving slowly up and down with each breath. He couldn't believe that this was Edwina. No longer did she look like the misplaced girl, the ugly duckling that nobody wanted anything to do with. No, now she was a beautiful young woman.

He reached out slowly and took hold of her hand. A diamond ring glinted in the florescent lighting. Obviously someone had had the courage to do what Bradin had only wished he'd been able to. Someone else had taken the risk of asking Edwina out. And they had clearly fallen in love with her. And how could they not? She had been a great girl, one of the best that Bradin had ever known.

Sighing, he gripped her hand tighter. He'd always regretted the fact that he'd allowed his friends to influence him so much. Otherwise he would have asked her out. And, perhaps, he would have been the man lucky enough to have Edwina Branwell as his bride. For, even though she wasn't pretty by any means, she had a great heart and a lot to offer a person. As long as they were willing to reach out for it.

Bradin had often wished for a chance to do things over.

He studied Edie's peaceful face. Perhaps God had finally decided to give him that chance.

> > > > > 

Yippee, another chapter finished! I hope you guys liked it and will review.


	7. Tears of heartache

Sorry it took me so long to update. Writer's block totally sucks.

I want to thank all of you who have waited so patiently for this chapter. And I want to thank those of you who reviewed the chapter five. You guys rock! Now, enough babbling, here's the new chapter.

Chapter Six

_"Do you wanna get a bite to eat or something?" _

Edwina looked up from her backpack, which she was loading with the books she would need that night, to see Bradin standing in front of her. She smiled.

Two weeks they'd been talking to each other and still Edwina had yet to grow accustomed to his friendship.

"Um…" she looked down at the books in her bag, "I've got a lot of homework." She said.

"Oh c'mon," Bradin shook his head, grinning in that way that made Edwina's knees go weak, "you'll be able to finish that work in no time. C'mon and have some fun for a change."

She felt her cheeks flush with hot embarrassment.

"Well…"

"You know you want to." Bradin tilted his head, a lock of golden hair falling over his left eye. His grin widened.

"Okay." Edwina replied, a slow smile spreading over her face.

> > > > > 

Edie's eyes fluttered open and bright light invaded her senses. She groaned.

"Edie? Edie, are you awake?" A gentle hand rested on her arm.

"Mr. Hooper?" She squinted her eyes and turned her head just slightly to the source of the noise. Sure enough, there sat Mr. Hooper, his eyes red-rimmed and blood shot, and his hair and clothes a mess.

"What…what happened?" Edie asked, opening her eyes more fully to the florescent lighting. "How did I get here?" She glanced around the hospital room, taking in all the machines and the stark white walls.

"There…there was an accident." Mr. Hooper's voice broke and his eyes filled with tears. "You and Alex were hit by another car on the freeway and…" a wave of emotion passed over Mr. Hooper's face and he buried his head in his hands and gave way to the powerful sobs that racked his body.

A feeling of dread filled Edie as she stared at him. And what? What else happened? Edie's heart pounded within her chest, causing the monitor beside her bed to squeal out in protest.

"Where's Alex?" She asked slowly, hoping against hope that the answer would not be what she knew she would hear. "Mr. Hooper, what happened to Alex?"

Mr. Hooper raised his head, his eyes clouded with tears of grief.

"He didn't make it." He whispered, as if not wanting to believe his own words. "I'm so sorry, Edie, but he didn't make it." And he was once again lost in his crying.

The squeal of the monitor increased rapidly as Edie took in the news. Alex, dead? No, it couldn't be. He couldn't be dead. He had just proposed to her, they were supposed to get married. He couldn't be dead.

Edie's vision blurred as her own eyes filled with tears.

A nurse rushed in, alerted by the loud monitor.

"Oh dear," the nurse muttered, "oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

She could vaguely make out the nurse moving through the room, but Edie was oblivious to anything but her own pain and grief. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped from her body and left on the ground to be stomped upon.

Unconsciously, she touched the diamond that weighed down her left hand. Her mind flooded with all the things that she had experienced with Alex. He had been her soul mate, her love. How could he be dead? What possible life could Edie have now that her one true love was gone?

Her eyes flew to Mr. Hooper, who was lost in his own world of pain and sadness. A wave of guilt swept over her. Here she was, being selfish over the loss of her fiancé when Mr. Hooper had lost his one and only child.

Slowly, she reached out a hand and placed it on Mr. Hooper's shoulder. And, together, they cried.

> > > > > 

"I want to see him." Edie said, looking from Mr. Hooper to the nurse that stood checking her vitals. "Can I please see him?"

The nurse looked skeptical.

"Let me ask the doctor." She said, her tone giving no clue as to whether or not she thought the doctor would allow Edie to see Alex. She left the room, her white shoes making squeaking sounds as she walked across the linoleum floor.

Edie sat back against the flat hospital pillows and sighed.

She didn't care what the doctor said, she was going to see Alex one last time. She needed to. She needed to say good-bye. She needed to know that this was actually real and not some horrible nightmare.

The doctor walked in, the florescent lighting shining a halo around his golden blonde head. He looked at Edie, his green eyes sad, pitying. There was something familiar about those eyes, but Edie couldn't place what it was.

"Hello, Miss Branwell," the doctor greeted her with a nod of his head, "I'm glad to see you've finally woken up. How are you feeling?"

"I want to see Alex," she said, not bothering to answer his question. "I want to see him _now_."

The doctor cleared his throat nervously, his hands fidgeting with the chart he held.

"Yes," he nodded, "I'll arrange for you to visit the morgue as soon as possible. But first, I need to ask you a few questions."

> > > > > 

Bradin ran through his list of questions, his mind not really focusing on the task at hand. His eyes kept flitting to Edie's face. How could she not remember him? After what he had done to her, how could she be acting as if she didn't know who he was?

_Don't look a gift horse in the mouth_, that's what his father had always said when something good happened and Bradin began to question it. Perhaps this was how God intended to give Bradin his second chance, by making it so that Edie didn't recognize him.

_I have a chance to do this over again,_ he thought as he looked at Edie, _and this time I'm not going to screw it up._

> > > > > 

Alright, so it was a really short chapter, sorry 'bout that. Next one should be longer. Anyways, please review and tell me what you thought.

I'm not sure exactly when I'll update next. Currently I'm busy looking for a publisher to publish the book that I recently finished and that takes up a lot of my time. Um…but I will try and update soon. So, send me lots of encouragement and the next chapter might be up sooner than expected. Lol.


	8. Emotionless

Hey y'all, sorry it took so long to update. I feel horrible about making you guys wait. Please forgive me?

I want to thank those of you who reviewed last chapter. Your criticism, compliments, and encouragement really mean a lot to me.

Anyways, here's the latest chapter. I hope you like it.

Chapter Seven

Edie sat silently in the wheelchair as the young candy striper, her blonde pigtails bobbing with each step, wheeled her down to the hospital's morgue.

She didn't know what to feel as the heavy metal doors opened and she was ushered into the bare, cold room. Goosebumps rose on her flesh, but Edie felt nothing. Her heart was empty of emotion, her mind empty of thought, and her body numb to any feeling. A shell of a person, that was what she was.

The mortician looked at her, his pale blue eyes a mask of sadness beneath his gray bushy eyebrows. He had a kind, grandfatherly look to him, and Edie could feel the sympathy radiating off him. She couldn't help but wonder, as he led the way to the steel cabinets which housed the bodies, how anyone could choose this line of work. To continually be surrounded by sadness and loss. Edie would have gone crazy a long time ago if this was what she'd had to do for the rest of her life.

The room seemed to fall silent as the mortician opened one of the cabinets and pulled out the shelf on which the body lay. Edie braced herself for the tears as the old man pulled back the sheet that covered her fiancé. But as the sheet was pulled away and Edie gazed upon Alex's face, so handsome and lifeless, no tears came. It was as if there was nothing left inside of her. Edie could feel her heart breaking into a thousand tiny pieces as she looked upon his face, but not a single tear distorted her vision.

Edie bit her lip, willing herself to cry; to feel…something.

_I'm a horrible person. My fiancé, the love of my life, is dead, and I feel _nothing

The realization of her lack of feelings flooded Edie. She had _loved_ Alex with all of her heart and it hurt her to think that she could not conjure up a tear for him. Sure she had cried when she first received the news of his death, but that couldn't have drained all of her tears. Could it? It didn't seem plausible.

She turned her eyes away from the body. The candy striper took that as her cue to take Edie back up to her room. With her heart heavy and her soul empty, Edie wordlessly allowed the girl to wheel her back to the room. But not before one single, solitary tear escaped from her eye.

* * *

_Edwina sat in her room, listening to her parents fight down in the living room. Their voices rose and fell like the ocean tide as they screamed and cried and screamed some more. She tried to concentrate on her school work, but it was no use. The loud voices were all she could hear, all she could focus on. It was too much for her to bear. _

_Slamming her history book closed, Edwina gathered all her school books and crammed them into her book bag. She rushed down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it loudly behind her. Running down the street it was like she couldn't escape the voices. They rang out behind her, dogging her steps. She ran faster and faster, until her calve muscles burned and her breath came in ragged gasps. Sweat dripped down her back and coated her forehead, but still she pressed on until she reached the one place that she knew she would be safe from the voices of her parents, from their constant bickering._

* * *

Bradin looked over the charts that sat before him. It would take hours to catch up on them all. But Bradin could barely even concentrate for a second let alone hours. His mind continually flew back to Edie.

She hadn't recognized him. Sure he had changed some over the years, but not so much that anyone from high school would be unable to recognize him.

Bradin had heard of people blocking painful memories from their past. Is that what Edie had done? Had she blocked him from her mind because what he had done to her was so horrible that sometimes even he had nightmares about it? It certainly was possible.

Bradin sighed and hung his head. He needed to stop thinking about Edie. He needed to concentrate on his work and his other patients. But such a thing was easier said than done.

* * *

_Bradin opened the front door to see Edwina standing before him, her forehead bathed in sweat and her chest rising and falling with each harried breath. Her eyes were wide, just like Bradin's little brother's eyes were when he woke up from a nightmare._

_"Hey, are you alright?" Bradin asked, quickly ushering Edwina into the living room where he had been watching television; the station tuned to the X Games._

_"I'm fine." She assured him as she shakily sat down on the couch. "My parents were fighting and I just had to get out of there."_

_Bradin smiled sympathetically. They'd been friends for a little over two months now and Edwina had already confided in him about her parents' shouting matches. Bradin pitied her, having to endure that every day. He never could imagine what she went through listening to those fights. His own parents, God rest their souls, had been the picture of a perfect marriage. They had barely ever fought, and when they did it could hardly be considered a real fight since they always made up within ten minutes._

_"It's okay that I'm here, right?" Edwina asked, her eyes full of worry. "'Cause I can go if you already had plans or something."_

_"No, it's fine." Bradin quickly assured her. Sometimes he wondered how Edwina got through a day. She constantly second guessed herself and was always looking over her shoulder as if waiting for someone to jump out and yell "boo." She was as skittish as a new born colt, the only difference was, colts eventually grew out of that phase, and Edwina probably never would. _

_She smiled at him, her fears absolved for that moment, and settled back into the couch as Andy McDonald headed down the vert ramp to begin his run._

* * *

The nurse handed Bradin Edie's chart to look over one last time before she was released. Bradin's eyes skimmed the information before them, not really taking in anything the chart said.

It had been five days since Edie had been brought in to the hospital. She had been an ER patient and, rightfully, should have been admitted to a regular room at the hospital. But Bradin had been unable to allow her to be taken away from his care. It was as if they were back in high school again and he felt the intense need to take care of her, to watch over her like he had done back then.

But then again, Bradin had let her down in the end. He had started out with good intentions, but then he had become the very thing that he'd been trying to shield Edie from. He had turned into someone no better than the bullies that had constantly belittled and tormented her.

It was time, though, to release Edie from the hospital, and Bradin couldn't bring himself to face that. The second chance that he had been given was slipping through his fingers. He could feel it. Edie would leave the hospital and he would never see her again, he'd never get the chance to tell her he was sorry for what he'd done. He'd never get the chance to tell her that he had actually cared for her, might even have loved her. But even if he told her all that, she wouldn't believe him. All she would remember was the horrible person that he had shown himself to be. And Bradin wouldn't have blamed her one bit.

"Alright, Miss Branwell," he finally said, after he had faked looking over everything he possibly could. "You are free to go home."

Most people who received that news were ecstatic to hear it, but Edie simply looked at Bradin through emotionless eyes as if not truly comprehending what he said.

"Miss Branwell? Are you alright?" He asked, concern edging his voice. What a stupid question it was for him to ask. Of course she wasn't all right. How could she be when her fiancé, who she must have loved very much, was dead? Bradin wished that he could wrap his arms around Edie and hold her until the hurt was gone. But he couldn't do that. He probably never would be able to do that again. And all because of his stupid mistake.

* * *

_Edwina didn't remember much else about that night except for the feeling of Bradin's arms around her as she fell asleep. They were still on the couch, the television turned down low, and Edwina's eyes were heavy with sleep. Bradin had pulled her up against him so that her head rested on his chest and his arms were wrapped around her. One hand slowly stroked her back, as if she were a small child that he was lulling to sleep. And all she could remember thinking was how safe she felt within his arms. How loved and accepted he made her feel. _

_A small, sleepy smile pulled at Edwina's lips. If this was what happiness was, she didn't ever want it to end._

* * *

So, what did you guys think? Was it good? Was it horrible? Please review and tell me what you thought. Hopefully it won't take so long this time for the next chapter. 


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